This isn't our first time at the rodeo when it comes to our fascination with pot. As more of us come to accept the drug, and the majority of Americans are in favor of legalization, it's important to understand the effects of marijuana. Today's ground-breaking finding? Smoking marijuana can actually make you less motivated to do, basically...anything.
Many of us will roll our eyes when we remember that time when we absolutely could not get off the couch (were there substances involved? We plead the fifth), but now there is actual science backing up the reason why we could barely muster the ability to get down the corner for a morning-after egg-and-cheese. Cannabis suppresses our brains' ability to synthesize dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with our reward and motivation system. Researchers found that regular — or at least weekly — pot smokers had lower levels of dopamine, meaning they can be less driven than non-smokers. It's important to note that a direct causal relationship could not be proven, but those who began smoking earlier, or smoke more often, had the lowest dopamine levels.
That being said, we can all still be go-getters and light up a doob occasionally — the two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. Nevertheless, if you're gunning for a big promotion at work, it might be a good idea to shelve the grass — at least for the moment. (Pop Sci)
Photo: Via Pop Sci